chrisurban.com » aztec

Chuao Firecracker

Chris Urban — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:55:08 +0000

No bones about it, the folks at Chuao make some really good chocolates. We especially love the Spicy Maya. But this one folks, this might actually have too much going on.
There’s the chipotle chile first, then the the salt, and then – are you ready for this? – popping candy. Yes – pop rocks in chocolate. It’s an interesting effect – you sense the texture – as if there’s cocoa nibs or nuts. Then they dissolve, and pop! The effervescence overwhelms your tongue. But you’re still processing the smoky chipotle and savoring the salt. Then there’s all this popping going on.
It has such a nice smoky heat to it, the chocolate is a nice, smooth, 60% Venezuelan chocolate (like all of Chuao’s bars). The first taste or two was great, but then the popping was too distracting – I really want this bar with out the pop rocks.

Casa Don Puglisi Chilli Modicana Chocolate

Chris Urban — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:32:21 +0000

This was an interesting find – kudos to Chelsea Market Baskets in New York City for the recommendation. Made in Italy, in the laboratorio Don Puglisi, it comes in a plain wrapper, tied with a red string, and a card:

Handmade in the Aztec tradition, the unique opaque patina and rustic, brittle texture are the result of a cold production process that maintains the full flavor of each ingredient.

Opaque patina indeed – one first glance it appeared that the chocolate had melted and resolidified. This is exactly the appearance the card warns about: one closer inspection you can see the actual granules of cane sugar used.
So, on with it: how is this chocolate? Awesome, simply awesome. It’s almost an unchocolate. You take a piece into your mouth and bite into it; it’s more like a chocolate sugar cube. The sugar dissolves, mixing into the 45% cocoa, and then 15-20 seconds later, the chili kicks in – medium spicy, just the right amount.
The best way to summarize this bar? It’s like eating a spicy hot chocolate – you feel like you should be drinking it.

Guylian Solitaires – Asian, Aztec, African dark

Chris Urban — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:08:56 +0000

An assortment of solitaire-sized chocolates, this Guylian assortment presented many challenges, not the least of which was which one to try, in what order. As the anal, compulsive, chocoholics that we are, it seemed the most logical to ascertain these in ascending cocoa percentages – that is, from lightest to darkest. And so:
Asian dark – 56% cocoa, this emerged as the crowd favorite. It’s been our experience that the 50-60% cocoa range generally has the best mouthfeel and usually the best chocolate flavor experience. The Asian dark mixes Criollo and Forastero beans and the package describes these as having “…a hint of herbs.” It is fruity, not as intense as the others. It possesses a nice complexity of flavor, but not too overwhelming.
Aztec Gold – 65% cocoa. In my humble opinion, this mix of Caribbean and South American beans – Columbian and Santo Domingo – was not nearly as flavorful as I would have expected. It definitely bodes more bitter, but not necessarily more complex. This was a bit of a downer. Of course, remember that when we see ‘Aztec’ we immediately expect more cinnamon and kick.
African Ebony – 70% cocoa. Visually, the darkest. This noir closely matches its description: “…full powerful chocolate.” This tastes like 70%. Again, like the Aztec, it’s a bit – no, a lot – less than what I had hoped. Recalling the Kallari 75% (and to a lesser extent the 85%) we recently tried – these were no where near in the same league.
So, the consensus for this collection? This is a tough one – it boils down to the Asian dark, really. If we can find this on it’s own, we would buy it. But the other two? Meh. (Sorry if this is a bit harsh, but that’s why you read these, dear reader, for a clear, concise opinion, no?)